Videos: Max Roach

[Bernhard]

Just added some six Videos from the archives:

http://www.drummerworld.com/Videos/maxroachsolofromsession.html

A true Master at work....enjoy

Bernhard

[fourstringdrums]

Great videos Bernhard!

Question about this one: http://www.drummerworld.com/Videos/maxroachdrumsunlimited.html How is he doing the pitch bends on the floor tom? I see him moving his right leg while he does it, is something hooked up to the floor tom to bend the pitch?

[Bernhard]

Great videos Bernhard!

Question about this one: http://www.drummerworld.com/Videos/maxroachdrumsunlimited.html How is he doing the pitch bends on the floor tom? I see him moving his right leg while he does it, is something hooked up to the floor tom to bend the pitch?

..a good question - several possibilities, but I don't know, don't see it either from other angles. Who knows???

Bernhard

[Raymond Bloom]

Max was one of my absolute favourites, too bad I never had the oportunity to see him live...

a true legend

[Drummer Karl]

An awesome man. Beautiful sound!!

And about the floor tom pitch: It looks like he had something in his floor tom...something which moves and which influences the pitch/the batter head...

Also, what it`s all about using a smaller top hi-hat cymbal and a larger bottom? A fuller chick sound??

Thanks very much,

Karl

[Raymond Bloom]

Great videos Bernhard!

Question about this one: http://www.drummerworld.com/Videos/maxroachdrumsunlimited.html How is he doing the pitch bends on the floor tom? I see him moving his right leg while he does it, is something hooked up to the floor tom to bend the pitch?
I'd say he changes the pitch with his toe touching the reso side, that explains why the flor tom is moving that much.

I'm 99% sure about it!


edit:
allright 99% was a bit too much... hahaha

[intooder]

Great videos Bernhard!

Question about this one: http://www.drummerworld.com/Videos/maxroachdrumsunlimited.html How is he doing the pitch bends on the floor tom? I see him moving his right leg while he does it, is something hooked up to the floor tom to bend the pitch?

Of course I'm not positive, but it sounds like that tom might be filled with water and he's slightly rocking it with his right leg either through directly tapping it or through some simple device. A timpani pedal also sounds like a possibility. One of Glenn Kotche's videos came to mind right away - the one where he's blowing into the pipe leading to the tom.

[Raymond Bloom]

Of course I'm not positive, but it sounds like that tom might be filled with water and he's slightly rocking it with his right leg either through directly tapping it or through some simple device.
C'mon, that's a bit crazy! Try dampening the reso head with your toe... sometimes these little tricks are really THAT easy!

[fourstringdrums]

A timpani pedal also sounds like a possibility.

I think you're right. I spotted this while watching the video again. Notice inside the drum, you'll see what you would normally see inside a timpani, 5 or 6 "arms" that are connected to a pedal in order to change the pitch. You can see them moving up and down as he plays.

I also found on http://www.nodarrode.com/custom.html

"Max Roach asked Nodar to customize his Hollywood timpani floor tom tom with brand new shell"

I never knew that :)

[Raymond Bloom]

I think you're right. I spotted this while watching the video again. Notice inside the drum, you'll see what you would normally see inside a timpani, 5 or 6 "arms" that are connected to a pedal in order to change the pitch. You can see them moving up and down as he plays.
hmmm... you're right... there is something in his flor tom!

then again, my idea also works, maybe not like that but it still changes the pitch of the drum!

[intooder]

I think you're right. I spotted this while watching the video again. Notice inside the drum, you'll see what you would normally see inside a timpani, 5 or 6 "arms" that are connected to a pedal in order to change the pitch. You can see them moving up and down as he plays.

I also found on http://www.nodarrode.com/custom.html

"Max Roach asked Nodar to customize his Hollywood timpani floor tom tom with brand new shell"

I never knew that :)
Nice, dude. You seem to have it nailed. The reason I was going more for the water idea was because I feel it's hard to get that almost-unstable yet drastic sort of pitch bend (like a metal container filled with water that is tapped on the side) from just a regular timpani-like apparatus.

[jangus]

You can definitely hear his influence in John Bonham.

[bballdrummer34]

You can definitely hear his influence in John Bonham.

I'm SOO glad you said that. Ever hear Bonham's solo in Moby Dick? Watch that then go watch the video of Max playing in three OR you could just check the Drum Also Waltzes. That's on the Burning for Buddy cd. DIRECT quote.

[Raymond Bloom]

You can definitely hear his influence in John Bonham.

hmmm... how about Bonhams influence was Max...?

[intooder]

hmmm... how about Bonhams influence was Max...?
I think that's what he meant.

[Raymond Bloom]

I think that's what he meant.
Sorry Jangus, I missread your post!

[cnw60]

I'm wondering if it's truly like a tympani where you set the pitch and it stays until you change it again, or is it spring loaded so it always returns to the base pitch unless you pushing on the pedal. That's what it looks like to me, since he never really holds it on one pitch, it's always wavering and sliding the pitch up or down, and the drum always returns to the same place when he's not doing the slidey-pitch change thing.

Another technique that Art Blakey used to get the same effect was to use flexible tubing in the vent holes of the drums. By putting the opposite end of the tubing in his mouth and blowing into it, it changes the air pressure inside of the drum, which also changes the pitch of the drum.

[jangus]

I'm SOO glad you said that. Ever hear Bonham's solo in Moby Dick? Watch that then go watch the video of Max playing in three OR you could just check the Drum Also Waltzes. That's on the Burning for Buddy cd. DIRECT quote.

Oh yeah. I heard the Moby Dick at Earl's Court long before I heard Drum Also Waltzes. When I did my jaw dropped. I love when you can make such clear connections like that.

[dw D]

He uses a foot pump, hooked up to the air hole in the ft shell.

[fourstringdrums]

He uses a foot pump, hooked up to the air hole in the ft shell.

Are you sure? That would make sense but what are the arms that you can see inside the drum?

[cnw60]

yeah - those arms look a LOT like the tuning mechanism on a roto-tom, I'd be very surprised if they had nothing to do with the pitch glides on that vid.